Board meetings make up the lifeline of professional membership associations. They cover everything from strategy, governance and membership needs. Running truly effective board meetings can be difficult but are absolutely necessary. They’re not just about ticking boxes but transforming the meeting from a gathering to something meaningful that helps to mould actions and make impactful decisions.
What Makes a Board Meeting Effective?
Strategic Focus
The most effective board meetings are those where big-picture thinking and actionable planning comes together. Use this time as a space to set long-term goals, approve budgets and move the association forward.
Accountability
Ensure that board members are given a clear understanding of the association’s ongoings during this time. Explain performance metrics, financial health and any other requirements needed from the organisation. This will help build and maintain accountability within the association.
Member Representation
Members are what keeps an association running. Effective meetings will help to centre the membership’s needs, allowing the board members to come up with solutions to their problems and come up with initiatives that are for the members.
Strategies for Success
Planning
The key to an effective board meeting starts well before the meeting gets underway. A structured plan ensures that everyone arrives prepared, focused and ready to contribute.
To ensure that you do this, follow our step-by-step guide:
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| Beginning of the Year | Secure all board meeting dates throughout the year. |
| Three Weeks Prior to Meeting | Draft all administrative reports ready for approval, including a meeting agenda. |
| Two Weeks Prior to Meeting | Remind board members to submit their reports to the administration team ahead of time and ask for updates on actions from the last meeting. Send all administrative reports, including an agenda, to the association’s Chair for their approval. |
| One Week Prior to Meeting | Circulate all board and administrative reports to the board members. |
| Meeting Date | Attend meeting, ensure the meeting runs to its agenda, and take minutes. |
| One Week Post Meeting | Send draft minutes to the meeting Chair to approve. Once approved, circulate to the wider board and remind them of the date for the next meeting. |
Creating Agendas
Every effective meeting has one thing in common: a clear, concise and purposeful agenda. Start by outlining the goals you want to achieve and structure discussions to prioritise key topics. The best way we find to do this is by adopting a two-tiered approach for meetings.
- Dedicate the first part of the meeting to agenda-drive discussions, covering crucial information such as business and financial reports.
- The second part of the meeting should be allocated towards broader discussion surrounding the association’s strategy.
Participation
Actions won’t arise and decisions won’t be finalised unless the board members are engaged in the meeting. It is the administration’s team to encourage active participation within the meeting by assigning agenda topics to specific board members. This will ensure that everyone has a stake in the conversation and encourages a collective decision-making process.
By creating an environment for open dialogue, the more the board members will want to contribute.
Meeting Flow
Controlling the flow of the meeting is why preparation is so important. A well-run meeting balances staying on topic and within time constraints, while still allowing for meaningful discussions. Stick to the agenda, but don’t be afraid to adapt if the conversations uncover valuable topics.
Guide the meeting with concise presentations and reports to keep discussions focused and actionable, and make every effort to keep the discussion from being bogged down by unimportant topics.
The Write Up
Minutes should be concise – it’s all about separating the wheat from the chaff. Being able to clearly summarise all important points within the meeting will help board members in completing their actions.
Draft & Distribute Minutes Quickly
Submit the minutes for approval to the meeting chair, then ensure all board members have an accurate record of the discussions, decisions and action items.
Assign Actions
Assign responsibilities for follow-up actions and confirm deadlines to maintain accountability across the board. It may be useful to distribute a separate actions list attached to the minutes so that board members can clearly pick out their responsibilities.
Plan
Use feedback from the meeting the refine the next agenda and goals.
Improvement
As the association should continuously develop for the good of the members, so should its board meetings. Evaluate what went well, and if there were any pain points during the meeting – use your findings to adapt the structure and planning for the next meeting.
Tell us what you think – are your meetings as productive as they could be?